Reproductive Cycle of the California Leaf-Nosed Bat, Macrotus californicus

Abstract

Spermatogenesis is limited to summer and fall, and females are inseminated during the fall concurrent with ovulation and fertilization. While most of the embryonic development is deferred until March, there is slow growth of embryo and placenta during the winter. This sequence is termed "delayed development." Birth is in June, and the young bats are able to join the forage flights by August.

Changes in progesterone concentrations in the Japanese long-fingered bat, Miniopterus schreibersii fuliginosus

“…These results support our belief that the corpus luteum is less active during delayed development in this bat (Kimura & Uchida, 1983;Uchida et al, 1984). The so-called delayed development was first described in the California leaf-nosed bat, Macrotus californicus (Bradshaw, 1962), and occurs also in the Mexican fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis (Fleming, 1971). In the California leaf-nosed bat, the progesterone values are low throughout delayed development and a biphasic pattern of plasma progesterone is observed during pregnancy (Burns & Easley, 1977).…”

Ultrastructural observations of delayed implantation in the Japanese long-fingered bat, Miniopterus schreibersii fuliginosus

“…In chiropterans this phenomenon has been reported only for M. schreibersii, Eidolon helvum (Mutere, 1965) and Rhinolophus rouxi (Ramakrishna & Rao, 1977). However, embryonic diapause after implantation, so-called 'delayed development', has been described in non-hibernating bats, Macrotus californiens (Bradshaw, 1962;Burns, Baker & Bleier, 1972;Bieter, 1975;Burns & Easley, 1977) and Artibeus jamaicensis (Fleming, 1971).…”

The anterior pituitary and reproduction in bats

“…As Racey (1976) Miniopterus schreibersii differs from other hibernating vespertilionids in that the females enter hibernation already pregnant but implantation is delayed until the spring arousal (Peyre & Herlant, 1963a, b (Moudgal, 1973 fig. 1) which has been described by Bradshaw (1961Bradshaw ( , 1962. Oestrus, insemination and fertilization occur in the autumn.…”